Emergency program extended: Salzbachtal bridge causes high costs even after blasting

D.he Salzbachtal Bridge is in ruins and the clean-up work is in full swing. There is already hope that at least the federal highway 263 can be opened to traffic again sooner than expected, even if there is no date for it yet. But the remains of the bridge are evidently removed and disposed of very quickly. For Wiesbaden, however, the mitigation of the consequences of the bridge disaster will be more expensive than expected.

A few weeks after the bridge accident in mid-June, the Wiesbaden city council had initially decided on an emergency budget endowed with one million euros. This money was used to keep traffic flowing as far as possible by setting up diversion signs and provisional traffic lights as well as re-marking lanes. Investments were also made in the Biebrich and Ost train stations. The range of rental bicycles has been increased and new parking spaces have been allocated.

Hope for Autobahn GmbH

Around 300,000 euros were spent on the new express bus line 928, which connects the main train station, which has largely been suspended since the tracks under the former Salzbachtal bridge, with the Kastel train station. For the upgrading of a dirt road so that trucks could approach the sand for the bridge closure, 270,000 euros were due.

The responsible department announced that the municipal emergency budget has now been exhausted to more than 90 percent. The city must therefore step up. Not only because the demolition of the bridge was only possible around three months later than initially hoped. In the meantime, it has also been established that the new construction of the southern bridge, which was tackled in the first step, cannot be opened to traffic until 2023 and not as early as next year.

The department of City Councilor Andreas Kowol (The Greens) will therefore receive a further 650,000 euros from the “risk prevention” pot. This is to cover the additional costs for the longer operation of the express bus line (around 300,000 euros) and for other projects such as two additional provisional traffic lights on the main traffic axes to secure the school routes (55,000 euros) and for winter-proof markings (65,000 euros). The city hopes to get these expenses at least partially reimbursed by the Autobahn GmbH. However, there has not yet been a specific commitment.